MAP: Events to Commemorate the Lincoln Assassination

Tuesday marks the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's assassination. Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln as he watched a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. It was the first assassination of a United States president, sending shockwaves through the country.

Special events starting Monday showcase Lincoln's life and commemorate his death:

Located across the street from Ford’s Theatre and next to the Petersen House, the Center is holding an exhibition of President Lincoln's personal artifacts that were with him the night of his assassination. Historic items from various sites are reunited for the first time since 1865, including Lincoln's top hat, cuff buttons and coat; Mary Todd Lincoln’s black velvet cloak; and the pistol John Wilkes Booth used to fire the fateful shot.

The last time President Lincoln rode from the White House to his seasonal residence on the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home was April 13, 1865, the day before he was fatally shot. Riders and horses will retrace Lincoln’s final journey through Washington starting at noon April 13. Get a special look by standing at two viewing areas along the route. There will be a short ceremony at the ride’s end.

DC by Foot offers this one-mile, two-hour guided tour of downtown Washington to some of the places Lincoln walked and John Wilkes Booth plotted his assassination. Tours are donation-based and reservations are required.

Detective James McDevitt was on duty at the Washington Metropolitan Police headquarters, a half-block from Ford’s Theatre on the night of President Lincoln’s assassination. A tour guide will portray Detective McDevitt as he leads you through his investigation of the shooting that night. The tour has eight stops and lasts about two hours with a distance of 1.6 miles.

Now He Belongs to the Ages: A Lincoln Commemoration
National Portrait Gallery, 8th St., NW and F St., NW

Starting at 9 p.m. April 14, Ford’s Theatre will host a live performance commemorating the 150th anniversary of the night Lincoln was shot. The event includes readings of Lincoln’s words, Civil War-era music, excerpts from Lincoln’s favorite plays and more. No more tickets are left to the performance at Ford’s Theatre, but you can still catch it on a livestream from the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the National Portrait Gallery.